Tackling A Cockroach Problem In The Bay Area

If you find a cockroach in your house, how concerned should you be? Are cockroaches as bad as you've heard? Is it time to seek out Bay Area pest control for a professional cockroach treatment? Today, we'll share tips to help you with cockroach identification and detection, quickly cover why it is essential to properly address cockroach problems, tell you how to prevent a cockroach infestation, and offer up the best way to get rid of cockroaches. Does that sound like a plan? Before we get started, we want to remind you that help is available if you need it. The service technicians at Bay Pest are happy to assist you. We offer industry-leading cockroach control and prevention solutions. You don't have to do it yourself? We're here to help.      

Warning Signs Of A Cockroach Infestation

When you see cockroaches skittering around during the day, you don't have to wonder if you have a cockroach infestation—but that is one of the worst ways to find out that you have a roach infestation. Why? Because roaches can impact your health and damage your property long before you see them. They are nocturnal insects that prefer to stay hidden, even at night. When you see a roach, particularly during the day, it is a warning sign that you have a significant population of roaches in your home. It is best to perform an inspection and look for the warning signs of cockroach infestation long before you see roaches.

Droppings: Cockroaches leave black droppings in the secret places they explore within your home. They'll leave these droppings on floors, walls, and ceilings. When you enter a space with droppings, you may not realize it. Cockroaches hide in tight spaces and dark voids. You need to use a flashlight to inspect every gap, crack, and compressed area. When you find droppings, clean the areas as thoroughly as possible so you can check back and see if more droppings appear. When more droppings appear, you know you have a current and active infestation.   

Nymphs: Cockroach nymphs are a little more adventurous than adult cockroaches. But you may not recognize a nymph as a cockroach. One reason for this is that the nymphs don't have wings. So, while they have six spiny legs, long antennae, and a teardrop or seed shape (like adult cockroaches), you may think they're some other kind of insect. 

Shed Skins: Cockroach nymphs shed their skins several times as they develop into adults. You may find these skins littered about in dark secluded spaces or in tight cracks, creases, folds, pockets, or crevices.

Egg Cases: Cockroaches create purse-like egg cases called oothecae. You may find the oothecae of most pest cockroaches. German cockroaches are the exception. Female German cockroaches carry their oothecae with them. Most oothecae are reddish brown.  

It is disturbing to uncover a cockroach infestation. But it is far better to catch roaches early than to deal with the ramifications of having roaches live inside your home. Let's quickly look at how roaches impact your health.  

Why Cockroach Infestations Are Such A Health Hazard

The bottom line is that cockroaches are unsanitary insects. They are attracted to unsanitary environments and feed on things you would never touch. As they move about in your home, they leave invisible, disease-causing organisms, such as salmonella, E. coli, and hookworms. Sadly, this is only the first of many ways they impact human health.

• Cockroaches can cause atopic dermatitis when they crawl across the skin. The phenomenon was first reported in 1943 when physicians noticed rashes on the skin of patients after cockroaches had crawled across the skin.
• Cockroaches can cause a form of allergic conjunctivitis. If you wake up with pink eye, roaches could be to blame.
• Cockroaches are a trigger for asthma. Recent research shows an increase in hospital visits in homes with cockroach infestations.
• Cockroaches accidentally bite. While these insects don't feed on living tissue, they can bite by accident as they nibble on skin around the eyes, in eyebrows, on eyelashes, and on the lips. If you wake up with a swollen eye or lip, you may have a roach bite. Why do you swell up? Because the bacteria on the roach immediately infect the wound.
• Cockroaches leave their droppings in the areas they infest. These droppings are a source of disease and contamination.

There is more we could say on this topic, but you get the idea. It is essential to properly tackle a cockroach problem. When you find evidence of cockroaches in your home, contact Bay Pest for treatment.    

How Can I Prevent Future Cockroach Infestations In My Home?

While we don't recommend DIY cockroach treatments, there are many ways residents can work to prevent a cockroach infestation or guard against a future infestation after getting a professional cockroach treatment. We wholeheartedly support this. All-natural cockroach prevention methods don't require specialized knowledge of cockroach control products and are easily applied with a little hard work.

• Clean dirty trash receptacles to remove odors that attract cockroaches.
• Keep covers securely on trash receptacles and prevent overfilling receptacles, which props the lid up and allows roaches to get inside.
• Get trash to the curb weekly to prevent your trash from sitting in your receptacles for too long.
• Pick up junk piles, particularly stacked pizza boxes. Cockroaches eat old pizza crumbs, decaying cheese, and also the cardboard boxes themselves. It is not commonly known, but cockroaches eat cellulose in the same way a silverfish does. They also make holes in clothing in the same way clothing moths and carpet beetles do.
• Stay on top of picking up dog waste. It is an unsavory topic, but cockroaches feed on fecal matter. A yard that has dog droppings is highly attractive to cockroaches.     
• Reduce moisture around your home. Cockroaches are attracted to damp conditions and high humidity. 
• Remove cockroach hiding places. Roaches hide underneath objects in your yard. They do this to protect themselves from the drying impact of the sun. They prefer moist habitats and will often hide under leaf litter. 
• Seal cracks. The are many gaps and openings cockroaches commonly use to enter homes. Gaps around pipes and PVC wire conduits are at the top of the list. Roaches use pipes as a superhighway as they move inside homes. It is essential to seal gaps around the area where pipes penetrate your foundation, and also on the interior where they come out underneath kitchen and bathroom sinks.  

Along with applying all-natural cockroach prevention, keep in mind that your pest control service provider can apply routine treatments to prevent cockroaches from getting into your home. A year-round pest control service plan comes with a crack and crevice treatment around the exterior of your home, spot treatments in your landscaping, and targeted cockroach control as needed.  

The Best Way To Get Rid Of A Cockroach Infestation In Your Home

When cockroaches get inside, they are hard to eliminate. Cockroaches are robust and resourceful pests with behavior patterns that help them avoid treatments. We often hear stories of frustration and confusion. People put down cockroach bait and wonder why the roaches ignore the bait. They apply control materials on cockroaches and watch them crawl away unphased. They put down powder or treat surfaces and cockroaches just go around these areas. Have you experienced any of these issues? Take comfort in knowing that you're not alone. Cockroaches are tricky pests to deal with, and when you don't properly deal with them, they can continue to make you sick.  

If you're in the Bay Area, contact Bay Pest for a cockroach treatment. Our service technicians are highly trained and experienced pest management professionals. You can expect the highest level of service and the best results possible. We begin with an inspection to evaluate the conditions present, track your infestation, catalog potential entry points, and consider other factors that have led to your infestation. Your service technician will suggest a treatment plan based on the findings. Your treatment will target the specific cockroaches in your home, arrest all cockroach activity, and provide long-lasting cockroach prevention. We also provide you with the option of getting a pest control service plan to help you keep cockroaches out of your home permanently. When you want expert, results-driven pest control solutions, Bay Pest is the right choice.

It is easy to get started. Contact us by phone or navigate to our contact page and fill out the short form. Tell us a little bit about your cockroach issue, your questions, and your concerns. We'll get back to you and guide you in finding a customized solution to meet your specific needs. We'll also work hard to help you get the price down and fit your pest control neatly into your budget. At every point, we're here to help you find the right pest control solution for you. One size doesn't fit all. Find out why Bay Area residents trust Bay Pest. Connect with us today! We can help.